These two Columbia River bridges have the highest risk of shipping damage: Experts

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Astoria-Megler Bridge at the mouth of the Columbia River and the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Longview have the highest risk of experiencing disasters related to shipping collisions, experts say.

The Interstate Bridge, meanwhile, is not considered a major concern for shipping damage, President of Columbia River Pilots Jeremy Nielsen told KOIN 6 News. That’s because the largest ships that navigate the Columbia River don't pass under Interstate 5.

“The two bridges of largest concern on the river are the Astoria bridge and the Longview bridge,” Nielsen said. “All ships coming into the river pass under those two bridges.”

The Columbia River infrequently handles ships comparable in size to the Dali — a 984-foot cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Monday — likely killing six people. However, the Columbia’s largest ships, which are sometimes 1,200 feet long, generally dock at Terminal 6, Berth 605, west of I-5 in North Portland. 

The largest ships capable of passing I-5 are barges pushed by tugboats. That’s because the dredge work done on the Columbia River stops at the Interstate Bridge. The sudden change causes the draft depth of the river’s navigation channel to rise from 43 feet to 14 feet.

While the Oregonian reported that the Astoria-Megler Bridge has defensive padding, known as fenders or cribbing, around its foundations, Nielsen said that they would likely provide little protection against a 213-million pound cargo ship. The Lewis and Clark Bridge does not have similar padding around its foundation.

“It has cribbing protection around the piers that are in the water,” Nielsen said. “But would it stop a ship the size of the one Baltimore, probably not. It may reduce or deflect [damage from a ship collision] or it may stop a smaller ship.”

Several bridges on the Willamette River also see smaller cargo ships, tankers and bulk carriers pass under them on their way to Portland’s Inner Harbor. These bridges include the St. John’s Bridge, the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge and the Fremont Bridge. The 607-foot merchant vessel Nord Minami, for example, used the local waterway as recently as March 24. Columbia River Pilots Vice President Corey Williams told KOIN 6 News.

“Cargo ships routinely pass under the St. Johns Bridge en route to and from the Portland Inner Harbor,” Williams said.

While most of the ships using Portland’s Inner Harbor are much smaller than the Dali, they can weigh tens of thousands of tons. However, these heavy industrial ships pose little risk to Portland’s bridges, Nielsen said. The Fremont’s foundations, for instance, are all located on dry land. The supports for the St. John’s Bridge are also mostly out of the water.

“The St. John's highway bridge really is not much of a concern because the bridge’s [foundations] are so far out, the ships would probably run aground before they reach them,” Nielsen said.

In areas with tighter navigation is a concern, like the Swan Island Shipyard, the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge or anywhere upriver of the Fremont Bridge, Nielsen said that industrial ships are always accompanied by tugboats for added control.

Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Don Hamilton told KOIN 6 News that ship safety is always a concern, but precautions are taken to keep people and Portland’s infrastructure safe.

“[Ships] obviously have to be very cautious in how they navigate the bridges on the Columbia system and we have a good relationship with the operators of these barges and they have a good record of passing under these bridges,” Hamilton said.

Portland’s bridges are inspected every two years, per federal regulations, to ensure they meet safety standards.